*The Department for Education (DFE) have recently announced that they intend to freeze tuition fees for the 2018/19 year. This is still subject to parliamentary approval. Once confirmed we will update our web pages accordingly.

Course type

BSc (Hons)

UCAS info

Points required:
112

UCAS code: K242

Institute code: L51

Study mode

Three years full time, four years with sandwich year. Also available part time, day release.

About your course

The professionally-accredited BSc (Hons) Quantity Surveying at Liverpool John Moores University is tailored to meet the needs of employers and offers exciting paid placement opportunities where you can gain invaluable 'hands' on experience.

Fully accredited by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) and the Chartered Association of Building Engineers (CABE)

Opportunity to undertake a year's industrial placement or study abroad

Opportunity to participate in an exciting international experience abroad

Stepping stone to a varied career with UK and overseas employment opportunities

The site visits and guest lecturers really complimented the course learning material and the option of undertaking a placement year has been beneficial in successfully obtaining a graduate job.

Niall Scullion, graduate

The course is both challenging and satisfying. If you put the effort in then the rewards are definitely there for the taking. At LJMU the resources at your disposal are fantastic. You just need to make use of them.

Thomas Jameson, graduate

Work-related learning

The best way to experience working in the quantity surveying industry is to undertake a year's professional work placement, either in the UK or overseas, so you can put into practice what you have learnt in your first two years at LJMU. Taking the sandwich option will greatly improve your career prospects and could even lead to a permanent position with your placement employer.

The placement is fully paid and is an invaluable opportunity to learn new skills and gain hands-on experience that will add real value to your CV and impress future employers. The direct work experience could also count towards a professional qualification. It can even count towards the professional MRICS qualification.

Support and guidance

Dedicated personal tutor plus study skills support.

Throughout the course you will have the support of a personal tutor who can provide one-to-one guidance and advice on course-related issues.

If you decide to take up a third year work placement, there is plenty of support available from the Faculty placement team, both in finding and securing the placement. During the placement year one of your tutors will visit you in your workplace to check on your progress.

Course details

This BSc Quantity Surveying course focuses on the factors that affect the procurement and construction of a building or structure over its complete life cycle, with particular emphasis on the economic, legal, financial and managerial considerations of the construction process.

This BSc Quantity Surveying course focuses on the factors that affect the procurement and construction of a building or structure over its complete life cycle, with particular emphasis on the economic, legal, financial and managerial considerations of the construction process.

Once you have developed the technical skills required of a quantity surveyor, you will apply them to projects that are based on 'real' construction scenarios. This way of working not only gives you invaluable hands-on practice, it also allows you to develop a variety of transferable skills that will give you a professional edge when you eventually start applying for your first quantity surveying job.

Strong links with industry mean that you will have opportunities to meet quantity surveyors and other professionals working in the construction industry through guest lectures and site visits.

The course also offers a sandwich route which involves a paid placement where you can apply what you have learnt at LJMU out in the workplace. Such experience will enhance both your professional skills development and your CV, boosting your employment prospects after graduation.

Students not undertaking a placement year are registered on the non-Sandwich version of the programme and will have the opportunity of an additional study year abroad following Level 5, providing students with an additional year of study at an approved overseas partner that will complement their programme at LJMU.

What you will study on this degree

Please see guidance on core and option modules for further information on what you will study

During level 4, students gain basic knowledge and theory of the quantity surveying discipline. They gain an introduction to quantity surveying in practice, law and measurement. They will study key themes around construction technology, law and management, and get involved in exciting collaborative interdisciplinary activities. At level 4 students also become skilled in academic and digital literacy.

The following modules are all core modules at Level 4:

Construction Technology 1 (20 credits)

Collaborative Interdisciplinary Project 1 (10 credits)

Introduction to Law (20 credits)

Construction and Property Economics (20 credits)

Academic and Digital Literacy (10 credits)

Management Theory and Practice (20 credits)

Measurement and Costing (20 credits)

During level 5, students are exposed to the application and integration of key quantity surveying themes. In particular, students learn about managing construction projects, procurement and construction technology and a more focused legal perspective of building contracts and advanced measurement and administration. Students' progress their practical quantity surveying skills through learning about Building Information Technologies (BIM) technologies, and get involved in collaborative interdisciplinary activities in an exciting project environment. Students are also introduced to research methods skills and knowledge management.

The following modules are all core modules at Level 5:

Construction Technology 2 (20 credits)

Research Methods (10 credits)

Collaborative Interdisciplinary Project 2 (10 credits)

Construction Contract Law (20 credits)

Construction Procurement (20 credits)

Construction Project Management (20 credits)

Advanced Measurement and Contract Administration (20 credits)

Sandwich Degree:

Minimum 40-week industrial placement

During level 6, students focus on key concepts around the management and strategic implications of the quantity surveying discipline. This includes learning about procurement strategies and management and entrepreneurships strategies. You will also be exposed to financial management during the project lifecycle and engineering measurement. Students will again be involved in collaborative interdisciplinary activities during a level 6 project, as well as completing a final year research project.

Finally, you may have the opportunity to participate in an exciting international field visit during their final year of study.

The following modules are all core modules at Level 6:

Research Project (30 credits)

Collaborative Interdisciplinary Project 3 (10 credits)

Contract and Procurement Strategies (20 credits)

Engineering Measurement (20 credits)

Project Economics and Management (20 credits)

Business Management and Entrepreneurship (20 credits)

Further guidance on modules

The information listed in the section entitled ‘What you will study’ is an overview of the academic content of the programme that will take the form of either core or option modules. Modules are designated as core or option in accordance with professional body requirements and internal Academic Framework review, so may be subject to change. Students will be required to undertake modules that the University designates as core and will have a choice of designated option modules. Additionally, option modules may be offered subject to meeting minimum student numbers.

Please see the programme specification document for further details on this course.

Teaching and learning

Excellent facilities and learning resources.

You can expect to spend on average 14-16 hours in the classroom which may be in the form of lectures, tutorials and workshops, combined with your own research using our library and the web. You should spend around 35 hours per week in private study.

Your lecturers

Expert tuition and support.

Your lecturers are not only highly qualified experts in their field; they are committed to helping you achieve your full potential in both your studies and your future career plans. The majority of staff that service the programme are themselves Chartered Surveyors and will support and direct you towards achieving your ambition to become a professional Quantity Surveyor. In addition the course uses professionals and lecturers from construction management, architecture and building services engineering.

Your lecturers also carry internationally recognised research in various aspects of the discipline. Being at the forefront of research, your lecturers will help you to develop into research active Quantity Surveyors of the future.

Assessment and feedback

Assessment varies depending on the modules you choose, but will usually include a combination of exams and coursework.

All students perform differently depending on the type of assessment they are asked to do, and so a variety of assessment methods are used. These include exams (open and closed book), coursework (projects, technical reports, reviews, etc), and presentations (individual and group).

Your tutors will give prompt and constructive feedback via Canvas (our virtual learning environment), face-to-face or in writing. This will help you to identify your strengths as well as the areas where you may need to put in more work.

Entry requirements

Please choose your qualifications below to view requirements

Minimum points required from qualifications

112

Application and selection

​We are looking for students who are keen to learn new skills and develop those they already possess. We want students with the ability to: be creative with ideas and concepts, moderate their creativity with logic, be enthusiastic and thirsty for knowledge, communicate effectively and confidently and understand and adapt to a wide range of issues connected with the subject. It is also important that students are able to manage time and tasks effectively as an individual and as part of a team, use appropriate sources to find and organise information and select and critically evaluate information in order to analyse problems.If you would like to develop these skills further, have a strong interest in this subject area and want to work effectively within it, then this is the course for you! International applications will be considered in line with UK qualifications.

GCSE and equivalents

Prior to starting the programme applicants must have obtained grade 4 or grade C or above in English Language and Mathematics GCSE or an approved alternative qualification below:
• Key Skills Level 2 in English/ Maths
• NVQ Level 2 Functional skills in Maths and English Writing and or Reading
• Skills for Life Level 2 in Numeracy/English
• Higher Diploma in Maths/ English
• Functional skills level 2 in Maths/ English
• Northern Ireland Essential Skills Level 2 in Communication or Application of Number
• Wales Essential Skills Level 2 in Communication or Application of Number
Prior to starting the programme

A Levels

Minimum number of A Levels required: 2

Is general studies acceptable? Yes

Are AS level awards acceptable? Acceptable only when combined with other qualifications

Average A Level offer: BBC

Maximum AS Level points accepted: 20

BTEC qualifications

BTEC certificate: Acceptable only when combined with other qualifications

90 credit diploma: Acceptable only when combined with other qualifications

Diploma (QCF): Acceptable on its own and combined with other qualifications

Diploma subjects / grades required: D*D* if studied on its own or to the total of 112 UCAS points if combined with other qualifications

Extended diploma (QCF): Acceptable on its own and combined with other qualifications

Extended diploma subjects / grades required: DMM if studied on its own or to the total of 112 UCAS points if combined with other qualifications

Access to Higher Education Diploma

Access to Higher Education Diploma acceptability: Acceptable on its own and combined with other qualifications

Further information: Access programme must have been taken be in a relevant subject area, minimum of 24 Distinctions and 12 Merits required

International Baccalaureate

International Baccalaureate: Acceptable on its own and combined with other qualifications

Additional information: 26 IB Diploma Points

Welsh awards

Welsh Baccalaureate: Acceptable only when combined with other qualifications

Irish awards

Irish Leaving Certificate: Acceptable on its own and combined with other qualifications

Additional entry requirement information

A​pplicants studying a HNC, HND or Foundation Degree in Construction or Quantity Surveying will be considered for direct entry into Level 5. Typically, a pass in a HNC opr HND would be required. For relevant Foundation Degrees, a minimum of 60% overall. Each case will be considered on an individual basis.

Please Note: All international qualifications are subject to a qualification equivalency check via NARIC.

Finance and fees

Find out more about the student funding that you may be eligible for from either LJMU or the government. This section will give you information about grants and loans as well as targeted support for students with children, adult dependants or those with a disability.

Please note that the amount of money you will receive as a student is dependent on where in the UK you normally live (i.e. England, Wales, Northern Ireland or Scotland).

LJMU scholarships

LJMU's scholarships are open to all new full-time Home and EU undergraduates that are liable to pay tuition fees. These awards are not income assessed, they are based on excellence. If successful, you will be awarded a scholarship for each year of your course subject to satisfactory progress. Scholarships are worth between £1,000 and £10,000 per year. The money you receive doesn’t have to be paid back.

LJMU bursary

The LJMU bursary is automatically paid to eligible students – you do not need to apply for it. The annual bursary is £500, which works out at £1,500 over a three year degree.

LJMU bursaries are means-tested and you don’t have to pay them back; they are intended to help you meet some of the costs associated with being a student.

Tuition fees

In 2018 LJMU will charge Home and EU students a tuition fee of £9,250* for the majority of its full time undergraduate programmes and £6,935* per year for part time courses. You will be charged a fee for each year of your course. The University reserves the right to increase fees up to the maximum permitted by law or government policy in the second and subsequent years of your course. Generally, these fee increases are linked to RPIX inflation (Retail Price Index excluding mortgage interest payments).

*Subject to parliamentary approval.

The important thing to remember is that you don't have to pay your tuition fees upfront - subject to meeting eligibility criteria, you can take out a tuition fee loan for each year of your course.

You can also take out a maintenance or living cost loan for each year of your course to cover your living expenses, such as rent and food.

You don’t start repaying your student loans until after you’ve left university and start earning at least £21,000.** Please note that the Department for Education who govern student support for students from England have recently announced it intends to increase this threshold to £25,000. This remains subject to parliamentary approval and we will update our website once further information is confirmed.

LJMU is committed to ensuring that students understand the full cost of studying at the University. Your tuition fee will cover or contribute to, as appropriate, expenses associated with your core modules, including:

safety equipment, such as lab coats and goggles

uniforms for nurses, paramedics and other professional placements

UK field trips and other educational visits

student exchanges

DBS checks (Disclosure and Barring Service – formerly CRB)

Professional sector regulatory body membership

** Repayment threshold for students normally resident in England and Wales.

Living expenses (maintenance) loan

In addition to your tuition fees, eligible full-time undergraduate students can also apply for a maintenance loan to cover your living costs. If you’re eligible, you can take out a loan for each year of your course.

The amount you’ll receive will depend on where in the UK you normally live and your household income. This money will be paid into your bank or building society account in three instalments and it’s up to you to budget for your living costs.

The government has stated that it intends to introduce a pro rata maintenance loan for part time students from England from the 2018/19 academic year.

Paying back your student loans

You only start repaying your student loans the April after you have graduated or left university and start earning £21,000* or above. Repayments are based on a percentage of your salary not how much you have borrowed from the Student Loans Company. Repayments are currently set at 9% of any income over the threshold (which is currently set at £21,000).* Please note that the Department for Education who govern student support for students from England have recently announced it intends to increase this threshold to £25,000. This remains subject to parliamentary approval and we will update our website once further information is released.

*Repayment threshold for students normally resident in England and Wales.

Career prospects

You will enjoy varied career opportunities both in the UK and overseas.

Career prospects for quantity surveying graduates are excellent, with many students securing their first professional position working for clients, contractors or professional practices either before or after graduation. You can work in the Public or the Private sector and will be equipped with skills to work in the building or civil engineering field.

You can also enjoy varied career opportunities overseas in addition to the UK.

If you decide not to go into the profession, however, you can still take advantage of your transferable skills and work experience to enter other careers.

CareerSmart programme

All students in their first year of study will have an opportunity to engage with the CareerSmart programme as an integral part of a core module of study. Once you have completed this, a wide range of other career-related provision and services will be available to support your development throughout your studies.

The new CareerSmart e-learning tool will introduce you to the steps involved in making informed choices about your career. It will enable you to consider your strengths and development areas, your career motivators, the options available to you and the necessary steps to take to achieve your career goals.

Professional accreditation / links

Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS)

Chartered Association of Building Engineers (CABE)

International Scholarships

Studying at LJMU offers international students excellent value for money and the opportunity to secure an internationally-respected qualification plus outstanding career prospects.

LJMU offers scholarships for international students. The provision and range of these scholarships can change from year to year so it is important that you always check the website for the most up-to-date information. The University also accepts a range of external funding, should you be awarded a scholarship or sponsorship from elsewhere.

International Foundation Year and International Year One programmes

LJMU offers international students the option of completing International Foundation Year and International Year One programmes at the University’s International Study Centre. These courses are managed and taught by Study Group, a world leader in education and training for international students. For more details on the International Study Centre, go to www.ljmuisc.com/

English language qualifications

All international applicants must have an internationally recognised English language qualification, such as IELTS (International English Language Testing Service). Your English language qualification must have been certified within the last two years for verification purposes. LJMU will accept other UKVI-recognised English language tests providing you attain the appropriate level.

This table summarises the minimum scores required by LJMU, although specific course requirements may differ depending on the programme you want to study.

English language support to improve IELTS

If your English language level does not meet the required entry requirements for your course you may still be offered a place on the condition that you successfully complete an English for Undergraduate Study course at LJMU’s International Study Centre.

Tuition fee deposits

International students are liable to pay a minimum deposit of 50% of their tuition fees before their CAS can be issued. The outstanding balance must be paid in full within 4 months of the given enrolment date.

Living Costs

When you apply for your visa or entry clearance, you will need to provide evidence of having enough money to support yourself for the duration of your programme and to pay for all of your living expenses. The good news is that the cost of living in Liverpool is one of the lowest in England, which means your money will go even further, allowing you to enjoy your student experience to the full.

In addition to academic fees, you must budget for living costs such as accommodation, food, clothing, books, local travel and entertainment. UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) states that students studying outside London must have £1,015 per month for a maximum of nine months to cover their living costs.

We estimate that a single student living in LJMU-approved accommodation is likely to need an average of £5,000 to cover just their rent for a full academic year.

Academic Technology Approval Scheme Certificate (ATAS)

If you have applied to study an Enhanced Undergraduate Degree (such as an MEng) course at LJMU, you should check if you require an Academic Technology Approval Scheme or ATAS certificate.

Alternatively, contact LJMU’s International Admissions Team for guidance. It is important to note that, if required, an ATAS certificate must be obtained before your Confirmation of Acceptance of Studies can be released to you.

Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS)

Before you can apply for permission to enter or remain in the UK under Tier 4 you will require a valid Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies or CAS. LJMU will only assign a CAS once you have satisfied the conditions of any offer made to you and you satisfy the University’s obligations as a Tier 4 Sponsor. For more details, visit the international students section.

Your visa application

As soon as you have received an offer of a place at LJMU you should contact the Entry Clearance Office at the British Embassy, British High Commission or Consular Office in your own country to check whether you need a visa for entry into Britain. You are advised to do this as soon as you can as the visa application process can take a long time.

Please Note: To obtain an Entry Visa you should go to the British Embassy or High Commission in your own country, and present the following documents:

A declaration of your intent to return home on completion of your course of study

The University may make changes to a programme of study or module where such changes are deemed to be beneficial to students, are minor in nature and unlikely to impact negatively upon students or become necessary due to circumstances beyond the control of the University. Further guidance on programme changes